Mouth equipment for dolls&#39; heads



Dec.. 30, 193 0.

s. MARCUS ET AL MOUTH EQUIPMENT FOR DOLLSV HEADS Filed Feb. 17, 1928 INVENTORS Samuel Marcus Ahzxo noler Konoff X ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES Pram OFFICE sAMfUnL MARcUs, on NEW YORK, ND ALEXANDER KONOFF, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIsNoRs T0 MARKGN'MANUFACTURING'CO.,I1\TC., OF NEW ORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MOUTH EQUIPMENT FOR DOLLS HEADS Application filed February 17, 1928; Serial 110,254,926.

This invention relates to animated dolls, and relates more particularly to a novel equipment for dolls heads consisting of animated or moving members associated with the mouth opening of the dolls head and operativefor imparting an increased vivacity to the facial expression of the'head.

'The prime object of our present invention centers about the provision of an improved equipment associated with the mouth opening of dolls heads embodying a movable tongue member which may be combined with a tooth member suspended for a vibratory movement at the said mouth opening and vibratingly operative at the mouth opening upon a slight movement imparted to the head when in erect or vertical position to simulate movements-of the tongue resulting in creating the impression or effect of animated or mobile'mouth organs.

More specifically, the prime objects of our invention include the provision of mouth equipment for dolls heads including a movable tongue member suspended at the mouth opening of the dolls head for an oscillating and free vibratory motion thereat; the further provision of a mouth equipment which is localized at the mouth opening and constructed to simulate the depth, color and movement of the interior organs of the natural mouth; the still further provision of a mouth equipment or construction which is designed to be boxed into small confines so as not to interfere with the operation of other devices within the dolls head such as movable eye sets therein; and the still further provision of a construction of this character in which the parts are capable of being made and assembled with great simplicity to produce easily workable organizations at a small cost of production.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, our invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter more particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred forms of our invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a dolls head showing the exterior appearance of themouth organs embodying our invention,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken in crosssection in the plane of thel-ine 22, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the equipment or apparatus of the invention shown prior to its attachment to the dolls head,

Figs. 4 and 5 are front and side elevational views of a modified form of our invention, Fig. 5 being a View taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 55, Fig. 4,

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical and elevational views respectively of a still further modified form of our invention, Fig. 7 being taken in cross-section on the plane of the line 7-7, Fig. 6, and

Figs. 8 to are front, side elevational and perspective views respectively of a still further modification of the invention, Fig. 9 being a View takensincross-section in the plane of the line 99, Fig. 8.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, and having reference first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, we show our invention to comprise in one of its generic forms a tongue member A mounted for a vibratory movement on a supporting means B adapted for attachment to the interior wall 10 of a dolls structed so that the same may be localized at and substantially confined to the region of.

the mouth opening ll'of the dolls' head with the tongue member A arranged within the said mouth opening 11 for an oscillatory movement thereat. V

The supporting means B preferably comprises a hanger frame which may be made of a blank of sheet material such assheet metal, and formed for simple and secure attachment to'the interior wall of the dolls head at the mouth opening. of this hanger frame is further preferably such that the same is localized at the mouth opening and is arranged to cover said mouth opening and enclose the .movable tongue member A or other members supported thereby. More specifically, this hanger frame B,

The design and structure when shaped from the blank from which it is made, comprises a rear wall 12 and two side walls or flanges 13 and 14 which may be provided with anchoring claw members 15 and 16, the said claw members and side flanges serving for attachment to the interior face of the dolls head, these parts being secured to the wall by means of any suitable adhesive such as glue or the like. WV hen at- 10 tached the hanger frame B assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the walls thereof combine with the wall of the dolls head to form an enclosure within which is contained the movable tongue member A or other supported elements. The

walls of the hanger B which are visible through the mouthopening 11 of the dolls head may be tinted a suitable color, such as red; and the positioning of these walls of the hanger frame surrounding the mouth opening, together with the color thereof, produces a simulation of the depth and color of the natural mouth.

The tongue member A is also preferably formed from a blank of sheet material stamped to produce a tongue-shaped portion 17, which has a bluntly rounded convex tip or front surface, and a vertical portion 18, all of which may be tinted red; and to th bottom of said vertical portion is attached clamped thereon.

The tongue member A is supported on and within the hanger frame B for a free vibratory motion, and to this end the tongue member is preferably suspendedly supported on the hanger frame for an oscillating motion;

and desirably the suspension elements are formed integrally with and made of the blanks of said tongue member and hanger frame respectively. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings,

this is accomplishedby striking out of the rear wall 12 of the hanger frame B a. portion 20 which is bent into the configuration best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings for defining a hook support for the tongue member A, the said tongue member being provided with an orifice 21 receiving said hook support. The said suspension or hook support 20 is provided with an upturned front stop 22 and with a shoulder 23 forming a rear stop for limiting the degree or extent of movement of the tongue member. The weight 19, the tongue member A and the points of suspension therefor are so arranged as to give to the suspended tongue member a low period and hence high frequency of vibration of substantially low damping characteristics, the tongue member A. being preferably arranged in or close to the plane of G5 suspension. Differently expressed, the suspension is made with but slight friction, and the tongue, the center of oscillation, and the pendulum are all located substantially in vertical superposition. The movement of the tongue member is limited, so that the tongue vibrates near, and not substantially, if at all, outside of the mouth opening.

With the construction thus far recited, we are enabled to produce a movable tongue member which may be set into an animated vibration when a slight shock or tremor is imparted-to the dolls head, the balanced arrangement and suspension of the tongue member yieldingthose frequency and damping characteristics which permit of obtaining the desired'effect. The tongue movements are produced while the head is in a vertical position, the clearance of movement being that between the interior wall or surface of the dolls head and the rear wall of thehanger frame. lVhen the doll is placed in a lying or recumbent position to simulate sleep, no movement is desired for the tongue member and none isgiven thereto. It will be further seen that the suspension means for the tongue member, as well as the attachment of the'hanger frame, are all confined in a small compass localized at the mouth opening of the doll, this construction producing not onlv a simple organization of parts, but one which, being located below the eye members, 'isoperative without interfering with the operation of movable eye sets which are usually provided in dolls of this character. Such eye sets comprise eye mem* bers 24, 24: which are actuated by a weighted member (not shown), the said weighted member requiring freedom of movement in the cavity of the dolls head. With the structure of our invention this movement is not interfered with to any noticeable degree, the depth of the structure also being small, and the rear wall of the hanger frame B may, ifdesired, act as a stop for the movable weight of the eye setting. It will be further seen that when the hanger frame is made in the form of an enclosure surrounding the mouth.

opening, the depth and naturalness of the human mouth may apparently be closely simulated. shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the tongue member is suspended for a substantially universal movement, to and fro and side to side movements of the tongue element 17 being thereby rendered possible.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, we show a modified form of the invention in which the tongue element of the tongue member may itself form the pendulous element or weight of the movable tongue member. In this form of the invention the hanger B is also made from a blank of sheet metal and also comprises the rear wall 12' and the side walls 13' and 14', while the tongue member A made of a blank of sheet In the form of the invention metal is provided with an upper suspending portion 18 and a lower tongue-shaped portion 17, the suspension being provided by an inturned arm 20 struck out from the wall 12 of the hanger frame B, the tongue member A being in turn provided with an aperture 21 which is received by the suspension arm 20. at 25 for the reception of the tongue member A. In this form of the invention as well, the tongue member is capable of a free vibratory motion at the mouth opening and the assemblage possesses substantially all the advantages enumerated for the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings.

Preferably we associate with the movable or animated tongue member other elements such as a tooth member related structurally to the tongue member to produce an attractive combination. This tooth member is arranged between the mouth opening of the dolls head and the tongue member so as to be clearly visible through the mouth opening without obscuring the tongue member and its movements. Referring again to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, this tooth mem ber comprises an element 26 which may be made of white celluloid or the like shaped to the configuration shown in the drawings, and said tooth member is positioned preferably at the upper lip portion of the dolls head and between the same and the tongue member 17, the arrangement being such that the tongue member is visible adjacent the lower lip portion of the dolls head and be hind the tooth member. In Fig. 5 of the drawings said tooth member 26 is shown in the same position and attached to the interior face of the dolls head C. In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, we show a more preferred manner of supporting this tooth member so that the equipment for the dolls head may be handled as a unit or an entity. In this form of the invention, the tooth member is supported on the hanger frame B; and where it is desired to maintain the tooth stationary, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the support therefor is produced by striking in from the rear wall 12 of the hanger frame B a section 27 which isbent into the configuration shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, providing side clamping fingers 28, 28 which are clamped into engagement with suitable edge portions of the tooth member 26, as shown.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, which show a further modification of the structural form the invention may take, we show the hanger frame B comprising the rear wall 12 and the side flanges or walls 13 und 14 suspendedly supporting the tongue member A in the side walls of the hanger frame. The tongue member A formed from a single blank of sheet metal is contoured to produce an advance tongue section 17 and a suspending section 18 The suspension arm 20is slitted slightly to the rear thereof, the weight 19 being clamped to the suspending section 18 the latter being in turn formed with trunnion pins 21 which form the suspension elements and mate with the apertures 20 in the hanger frame. The tooth member 26 is stationarily supported on the frame B by means of a supporting element 27 struck out from the top of the rear wall 12 of the hanger frame and shaped in a manner similar to that of the element 2? heretofore described. The frame B may also be provided at its bottom with a stop element 29 which may be adjusted to predetermine the limits of mot-ion of the tongue member A In this form of the inventionthe space between the tongue element 17 2 and the suspension portion 18 may be adjusted or predetermined; and the frequency of vibratory motion may be modified by the positioning of thependulous member or weight 19 to increase or reduce the fluttering action of the tongue member. V

In Figs. 8 to 10 of the drawings, we show a still further modification of the invention in which the tooth. member is made movable instead of stationary. In this constructional form the hanger frame B and tongue member A? are shown of a form most closely resembling the'construction of Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, except that the tooth member 26 is made movable to give the appearance of a motion of the upper lip. To retain the simplicity of structure and assembly, the support for the tooth member 26 is made integral with and from the blank of the tongue member A the manner in which this is accomplished being best shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, wherein it will be seen that a portion 27 3 is struck out and up from the suspension portion 18 of the tongue member and is shaped to clampingly receive the tooth member 26 The other parts of this c nstruction similar to the parts heretofore described are designated by similar reference characters with suitable exponents.

The manner of making the mouth equip ment for dolls heads embodying the principles of our invention and the many advantages thereof will be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent that different kinds of motions may be given to the tongue member. depending upon the design and arrangement of the parts. Thus in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, besides the side to side motion possible, the tongue member is given what appears as an in-and-out or to and fro motion. In a construction such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, however, the side to side oscillation is eliminated and the tongue member is suspended or hung so as to move the tongue element 17 in a substantially circular path as indicated by the arrow 00 in Fig. 7 of the drawings, this producing an in-and-out as well as an up-and-down motion of the tongue element. It will be further seen that the parts may be readily manufactured at low cost and assembled with great ease, this being afforded by the making of the essential parts from but two blanks of sheet material formed furthermore to provide integral suspension means. These parts, after being assembled, may be handled as a unit for ready and directattachment to the dolls head.

It will be further apparent that, while we have shown and described our invention in its preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure di closed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. The combination of a doll head with an animated tongue member comprising, a doll head having a mouth opening, a suspension frame afiixed interiorly to the front wall of the doll head at said mouth opening, said suspension frame being confined in its, overall dimensions whereby it is localized at the mouth opening and positioned entirely below the eye members of the doll head, and animated tongue member located at said mouth opening, said animated tongue member being vibratably suspended on said suspension frame.

2. The combination of a doll head with an animated tongue member comprising, a doll head having a mouthopening, a suspension frame aflixed interiorly to the front wall of the doll head at said mouth opening and an ranged to cover said mouth opening to define a mouth cavity, said suspension frame being confined in its overall dimensions whereby it is localized at the mouth opening and positioned entirely below the eye members of the doll head, and an animated tongue member located at said mouth opening, said animated tongue member consisting of a tongue element and a pendulous element both vibratably suspended as a unit on said suspension frame, the tongue member being capable of being set into vibration while the doll head is held in a vertical or erect position.

3. The combination of a doll head with an animated tongue member comprising, a doll head having a mouth opening, a suspension frame formed from a blank of sheet material and afiixed interiorly to the front wall of the doll head at said mouth opening, said suspension frame being confmed in its overall dimensions whereby it is localized at the mouth opening and positioned entirely below the eye members of the doll head, an animated tongue member located at said mouth opening, said animated tongue member being also formed from a blank of sheet material, and mating elements formed in and struck from the sheet material of the frame and tongue member forv'ibratin'gly suspending the'tongue member on the frame.

4. The combination of a doll head with an animated tongue member comprising, a doll head having a mouth opening, a suspension frame affixed interiorly to the front wall of the doll head at said mouth opening, said suspension frame being confined to the region of the mouth opening and covering said opening in simulation of a mouth cavity, a tongue member having a bluntly rounded convex end painted to simulate a tongue, and means for freely suspending the tongue member on the suspension frame for limited vibration at but not substantially outside of the mouth opening.

5. The combination of a doll head with an animated tongue member comprising, a doll head having a mouth opening, tongue supporting means of relatively small dimension located at said mouth opening, and a movable tongue and pendulum member oscillatably mounted on said supporting means with the tongue at the mouth opening, said pendulum member having a length only a small fraction of the height of the head and being freely suspended with but slight friction so that the tongue is characterized by a relatively high vibration frequency.

6. The combination of a doll head with an animated tongue member comprising, a doll head having a mouth opening, tongue supporting means of relatively small dimension located at and confined to the region of said mouth opening, and a movable tongue and pendulum member oscillatably mounted on said supporting means with the tongue at the mouth opening, said tongue and pendulum member being relatively small and freely suspeneed by said supporting means for oscillation toward and from the front of the head, the tongue, the center of oscillation, and the pendulum being located substantially in vertical superposition.

7. For use in dollheads having a mouth opening, an animated tongue member unit comprising a hanger frame adapted to be placed within the head to cover said mouth opening, said frame being attachable interiorly to the front wall of the head and being sufiiciently small so that it may be located entirely below the eye openings in the head, and a movable tongue and pendulum member vibratably supported by said hanger frame, said tongue and pendulum member being relatively short and freely suspended with but slight friction so that the tongue is characterized by a relatively high frequency of vibration, and said hanger frame and tongue and pendulum member being mountable in the head as a unit.

8. The combination with a doll head having a mouth opening, of a movable tongue member at said mouth opening, a suspension frame affixed interiorly to the frontal wall of the doll head at said mouth opening, said suspension frame being confined in its overall dimensions and localized at the mouth opening, means suspending the movable tongue member for a free vibratory motion on said suspension frame, and a tooth mem-' ber also supported by said frame between the frontal wall of said doll head and said tongue member.

9. The combination with a doll head having a mouth opening, of a suspension frame formed from a blank of sheet material and attached interiorly to the frontal wall of said head at said mouth opening, a tongue member at said mouth opening also formed from a blank of sheet material and suspended on said suspension frame for a Vibratory motion thereon, a tooth member, and a support for the tooth member on said suspension frame, whereby said frame, tongue member, and tooth member are adapted to be mounted in the head as a unit.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 14th day of February, A. D. 1928.

SAMUEL MARCUS. ALEXANDER KONOFF. 

